Kristie Cook - Promise

He jumped out of the car and was up the stairs and at the front door so quickly, I was sure he flashed. He opened the door, pressed a code into the alarm system just inside, and flipped on a couple lights. I knew he flashed back down to me because he stood inside the doorway and then instantly he stood right next to me. I laughed as he bent over the car door and scooped me out, carrying me up the stairs and inside.

"The tradition is you carry me over our own threshold," I said as he set me on my feet in the small foyer. The smell of fresh paint and lumber told me the house was either new or recently remodeled.

"This is. Well, yours anyway." He took my hand and pulled me through a doorway into a fabulous kitchen open to a dining area and family room. He put his arms around me from behind and nuzzled his face against my ear. "My wedding gift to you."

He nodded at a small pile of papers on the counter with keys on top.

" What ?" Then I came back to reality. "You mean while we're here. This little trip, right?"

"Well, that, too. But I mean the house. It's yours."

"Tristan," I gasped. "A house ? Are you crazy ?"

He grinned and kissed my temple. "Thank you for being my wife."

I shook my head. "This isn't right. I didn't even have time to get you anything yet and you got a house ? You can't give this to me."

"Will you please stop being difficult on this night of all nights? Just relax and enjoy it, okay?"

I turned around and stared at him in disbelief. He cupped his hands around my face.

"Think of it as an investment for our future. I just had to put it in your name for tax reasons…among others. Okay?"

I relaxed and smiled, knowing this was his area of expertise.

" Ours , then," I said.

"If you prefer…" He gave me a quick kiss. "Stay here while I get our bags and then I'll show you my favorite room."

It took him longer than I expected. I walked around the island kitchen with its smooth granite countertops and into the family room, admiring the perfection throughout. Everything was exactly the way I'd design and decorate it myself, if I had any talent at all. Sand-colored walls, sun-bleached wood floors and furniture, fabrics in cerulean blue, coral, aqua and shell-pink—the feeling of the beach brought indoors. A wall of sliding glass doors led out to a screened-in balcony. The darkness swallowed anything beyond except the water still reflecting the moon.

"Sorry," Tristan said, appearing in the kitchen. "I had to get an update."

I looked at him expectantly.

"We're fine. We can just enjoy ourselves. So, what do you think so far?"

I walked over to him and stood on my toes to kiss him. "It's perfect!"

He let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Good. Come on."

He took my hand and led me across the family room and through a door leading into a large bedroom suite. A big bed faced a small sitting area with a chaise lounge and more sliding glass doors. Everything was white except for splashes of jewel-tone colors, primarily amethyst, my favorite. It felt like a tropical island.

"I call it the Caribbean room," he said.

"I love it!"

"I hoped you would." He beamed, reminding me of a little kid proudly showing off his artwork.

"Oh! Tristan…did you design this house?"

His grin widened.

I stared at him in disbelief. "You're amazing !"

" You are amazing, ma lykita ," he said, taking me into his arms. "And for some reason I still don't understand, you are mine."

I placed my hands on the sides of his face, tilting it down toward me, and gazed into his sparkling eyes. "You don't need to understand. Just know ."

I pulled his face down to me and pressed my lips to his. The passion, pent up for the last several weeks, rose quickly in both of us. Our lips moved together longingly, kissing and tugging. Our hands caressed each other's faces and necks. I pushed my fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, separating my lips and welcoming his tangy-sweet taste on my tongue. I slid my hands down his strong neck, over his broad shoulders and along his hard chest.

As we kissed more fervently, his hand moved down my back, sliding between the bodice and the skirt and resting against the small of my back. His other hand caressed my neck and slid down slowly along the plane of my chest and back up. His mouth traveled over my chin and down my throat. I arched my back, lifting my chest against his lips. His mouth was warm and wet on my skin. His hand felt along the straps, up and around the collar.

"How do I get this thing off you?" he murmured desperately.

I smiled. "It's complicated."

I unhooked the choker and pulled my arms through the straps and then brought his hand to the hidden zipper in the back. The bodice fell to the floor. He cupped my breasts in his hands and my nipples hardened as he kissed and licked, electricity surging everywhere he touched me, rippling across my skin. He rolled one tip with his thumb, while taking the other into his mouth, suckling and pulling it into a hard nub. My lower body squeezed as if there were a direct line from my breasts to my groin.

I frantically pulled his shirt off and my skirt fell next. He lifted me up and I pressed against him, running my lips and tongue along his smooth neck, tasting, kissing, sucking. He carried me over to the bed and gently lay me down.

"You are dangerously beautiful," he murmured, appraising me as he slid off his slacks.

Keeping my eyes from wandering, I looked into his eyes and saw no fire—just beautiful emerald green and sparkly gold.

"You're…okay," I said quietly.

"I am truly Amadis now. The monster is buried deeply…maybe gone forever." His smile faltered. "Of course, we do still need to be careful. You're still so very fragile."

My heart raced as he climbed onto the bed and lay next to me. He placed his hand lightly around my neck and kissed my mouth with renewed fervor. His hand glided down, over and between my bare breasts, along my stomach, around the curve of my hip and along my thigh, leaving shocks of electricity along the path. His hand encircled my calf and he hitched my leg over his hip, then slid his hand up the back of my thigh. My body warmed and quivered with both yearning and fright.

My hands ran along his bare chest for the first time in way too long, feeling its smooth planes and curves. They trembled as they moved lower, along his perfect lines, his muscles flexing under my touch. He hooked his thumb under the elastic of my panties and, with a slight jerk, tore them off.

We explored new places we'd never been and we both hesitated before reaching those parts that throbbed with frantic desire. He was hard and big in my hand, exciting and scaring me at the same time as I stroked him and he moaned. His tongue flicked at my nipple as his hand separated my legs, caressing my inner thighs and then between. A finger slid into me. A small cry of surprise and pleasure escaped my throat.

"You're warm and wet," he breathed against my breast.

I froze and looked at him, not knowing what to say, heat rising to my face. "Um, sorry?"

He smiled. "That's a good thing."

He rolled over on top of me, gently moving between my legs. He must have seen the panic in my eyes.

"You okay? You look…really scared." His voice was low, kind, gentle.

"You're just…um…" I blushed again. "…really big ."

I had a hard time imagining all of that inside little me .

A smile played on his lips. "Sorry."

I giggled, despite everything. "No, you're not."

He pressed down against me and ran his mouth across my cheek.

"No, not really," he whispered against my ear. He shifted and I could feel his stiffness pressing against me. "Ready?"

I stared into his eyes and nodded.

"I'll be gentle," he said softly. And he barely moved his hips, sliding slightly inside me.